Herbicide Affects Sexual Development In Frogs

December 4, 2009

The controversy surrounding the unintended effects of herbicide and pesticide use has intensified as researchers from the University of Ottawa’s Department of Biology have identified that atrazine, a heavily-used herbicide, alters the sexual development in frogs.

“It is so widely used that it can be detected in many rivers, streams and in some water supplies. This has raised the alarm on the possibility of other serious detrimental environmental effects,” they said.

Syngenta AG has long defended its safety. The company has said atrazine is one of the best-studied herbicides available and pointed to previous safety reviews from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and World Health Organization, among others.

In October the EPA was reviewing the health impacts of atrazine, and some studies have showed to cause birth defects, low birth weight and premature babies.